1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transfer and positioning apparatus for the irradiation of targets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
More particularly in the nuclear industry, a large number of installations exists located within a protective enclosure and into which is introduced a member, which is recovered after irradiation. These are constituted, for example, by particle accelerators, reactors, sources, etc.
Outside the nuclear industry, installations are generally known which are located within a protective enclosure protecting the operator against a hostile environment and into which an element is introduced from outside the enclosure without fracturing the tight protection against the hostile environment.
An installation of this type is, for example, an installation for irradiation by cyclotron constituted by a vacuum enclosure within which is positioned the part to be introduced, in this case a target to be irradiated. The placing of a target in a cyclotron its positioning for irradiation and its recovery after irradiation make it necessary for operators to be present in the protective enclosure, which contains the installation for irradiation by cyclotron. Thus, these operators are exposed to the hostile environment, e.g. irradiation in the case of a nuclear installation.
Remote manipulation means are known, which make it possible for an operator positioned outside a protective enclosure, to carry out a certain number of operations within the enclosure whilst being effectively protected, particularly against irradiation in the case of a nuclear installation. A remote manipulator of this type is, for example, described in French Pat. No. 74 25055, filed on July 18th 1974 by the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and entitled "Cable-driven, motor-operated manipulator".
However, such means do not make it possible to introduce a member, e.g. a target to be irradiated from the outside of the protective enclosure without fracturing the seal of the installation. Thus, a very high vacuum exists within the cyclotron irradiation installation. It must be possible to introduce the target into the installation and then recover it after irradiation without breaking the vacuum present inside said installation.